Dental-floss holder.



D. K. WOODHOUSE.

' DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED FEB.lI,1915.

1,166,732. Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

.' ATTORNEY.

IVITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENIS K. WOODHOUSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DENTAL-FLOSS HOLDER.

Application filed February 17, 1915. Serial N 0. 8,766. I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DENIS K. WOODHOUSE,subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new expensive tomanufacture, and convenient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the invention,Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is an enlarged sideelevation of the upper end of the device, Fig. 4 is a plan view of thesame, Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged fragmentary side elevation ofan arm of the supporting frame, with the flexible cleaning elementremoved, Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the cleaning element in placethereon, and Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 77 ofFig. 6. w

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates asupporting frame, as a whole, embodying a handle 11 provided at itsforward end with spaced arms 12, as shown. Tl'llS supporting frame maybe formed of any suitable material. As shown in Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive,each arm 12 is provided near its upper end and spaced from the edgesthereof, (preferably'equidlstantly spaced), with a horizontal transverseopening 13, of a diameter corresponding substantially with the diameterof a flexible fibrous cleaning element 14, such as dental floss or thelike.

The horizontal transverse opening 13 leads into a transverselyrestricted vertical slit or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

' passage 15, the upper ends of the walls thereof are preferably curved,as shown at 1.6. Formed in each'arm 12, upon opposite sides of the innerhorizontal transverse opening 13 are outer horizontal transverseopenings 17, having substantially the same diameter as the flexiblecleaning element 14. The

outer openings 17 are preferably arranged in the horizontal plane of theopening 13, and are equidistantly spaced therefrom for substantialdistances. Extending into the outer openings 17 are horizontal laterallycontracted slots or passages 18, the outer ends of the Walls thereofbeing preferably curved, as shown at 19. i

The end of the flexible cleaning element 14 is secured to thecorresponding arm 12 by first passing the same through the vertical slotor passage 15, subsequent to which itenters the horizontal opening 13.This 7 fibrous cleaning elementis of course suitably compressible to beforced through the restricted passages 15 and,18, which serve to retainit in the openings at the ends of the passages, against accidentaldisplacement.

of the tying element 14 is passed through one horizontal passage 18 (thepassage 18 to the left in Fig. 7), into the opening 17, and then acrossthe cleaning element 14. The end portion of the cleaning element is thenpassed through the other passage 18 into the remaining opening 17. Bythis means the flexible cleaning element is securely held to the arm 12,and may be readily removed therefrom when desired.

It is to be understood that the form of my. invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit This having been done, thefree end portion of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described the invention, I'

claim A device of the character described, .com-

- iently moved intoand out of the slot, each arm being provided uponopposite sidesfof the longitudinal slot with slots extendingtransversely of the-arm and passing through ends arranged near'andspaced a-substantial "distance from the inner end of the longi- 'tudinals10t;--and a flexible cleaning element.

, adapted to be passed through the central I longitudinal slotwi'thitsend passed across 'thevmaterial thereof and extending through 10 thetransverse slots; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two itnesses.DENIS K. WOODHOUSE.

Witnesses: r

ROBERT A. B RTON, ALICE M. PATTERSON.

